Major Overview

Description

If you are interested in gaining skills in research and management that protects and restores the world's biodiversity and ecosystems, then Conversation Biology is the major for you. In this major, you will gain theoretical and practical knowledge and skills to understand and minimise the human impacts on natural ecosystems and biodiversity. WA is an ideal living laboratory for your studies with diverse ecosystems stretching from the arid to tropical zones, and including WA's South West region which is considered one of the world's 36 'biodiversity hotspots'. In this major, you will undertake several field trips including one to the highly diverse South Coast Region near Albany and interact with world experts in conservation sciences.

Outcomes

Students are able to:

  1. understand global biodiversity and its distribution, the evolutionary history of biodiversity in Australia, and particular species and communities that are highly threatened
  2. appreciate the crucial relationship between species biology and ecology and vulnerability to environmental change
  3. discuss major threats to biodiversity, their causes, and management and research mitigating them
  4. explain the role of different stakeholders in shaping policy and decision-making
  5. demonstrate the necessary analytical and communication skills to participate in modern conservation research
  6. demonstrate competency in fieldwork study, report writing, oral presentation and team work skills suited to gain employment in Conservation Biology.
Broadening guidelines

All students studying towards a Bachelor's Degree at UWA are required to Broaden their studies by completing a minimum

of four units (24 points) of study outside their degree specific major. Broadening is your opportunity to explore other areas

of interest, investigate new disciplines and knowledge paradigms and to shape your degree to suit your own aspirations and

interests. You will find here some broadening suggestions related

to your degree-specific major. While we know that many students value guidance of this sort, these are only suggestions

and students should not lose sight of the opportunity to explore and make their own Broadening Choices. Advice can also be sought from your Allocated Student Advising Office.

Suggested broadening units for Conservation Biology: INDG Boodjar Moort; Katitjin: Introduction to Indigenous Heritage and Knowledge (Sem 1);

ANIM2001 Darwinian Revolution (Sem 1); GENE2250 Principles of Inheritance (Sem 1); ANIM2297 Human-wildlife conflict in the Tropics (Non standard semester) PLNT2204 Plant diversity & Evolution (Sem 2); ENVT3363 Ecological Processes (Sem 2); PLNT3306 Australian Vegetation (Non standard semester).

If you are interested to further develop your skills in Science Communication we also recommend the Science Communication Minor as a set of four related broadening units: SCOM1101 Communicating Science (already part of your major); SCOM2208 Science Writing (Sem 1); SCOM2205 Science Presentations (Sem 2); SCOM3319 Exhibitions and Interpretation (Sem 1).

Prerequisites

Mathematics Methods ATAR or Mathematics Applications ATAR with a mathematics unit taken in the first year. Students without ATAR mathematics will take two first year mathematics units.

Courses

Conservation Biology can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

Units

Key to availability of units:
S1
Semester 1
S2
Semester 2
NS
non-standard teaching period

Level 1

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (24 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology None
S2 BIOL1131 Plant and Animal Biology None
S1, S2 SCIE1104 Science, Society and Data Analysis
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
ATAR Subject(s) Mathematics Applications or equivalent
or Mathematics Methods or equivalent
or Unit(s) MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
or MATX1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
Co-requisites
MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods
Or MATX1721 Mathematics Foundations
Or SCIE1500 Analytical Methods for Scientists
Incompatibility
Successful completion of
Unit(s) STAT1520 Economic and Business Statistics
or STAX1520 Economic and Business Statistics
S1 SCOM1101 Communicating Science
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
ATAR Subject(s) ATAR Mathematics Applications
or ATAR Subject(s) WACE Mathematics 2C/2D or equivalent
Co-requisites
MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
or MATX1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
Bridging units

Bridging units must be successfully completed within the first 48 points of study.
Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in Mathematics Methods ATAR or equivalent or higher are required to complete MATH1721 or SCIE1500.
Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in Mathematics Applications ATAR or equivalent or higher are required to complete MATH1720 and either MATH1721 or SCIE1500.

Note: MATH1721 should be taken if also considering majors or minors that require it for progression to level 2 (e.g. Maths, Physics, Chemistry or Computer Science):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1, S2 MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
Prerequisites
Mathematics Applications ATAR [with a scaled score of less than 50] or with permission
Incompatibility
Mathematics Applications ATAR [with a scaled score of 50 or greater] or Equivalent or higher
S1, S2 MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods
Prerequisites
Mathematics Applications ATAR
or MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
or MATX1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
or Mathematics Methods ATAR (with a scaled score of less than 50) or equivalent
Incompatibility
MATH1001 Mathematical Methods 1
and MATH1002 Mathematical Methods 2 and
MATH1011 Multivariable Calculus
or MATX1011 Multivariable Calculus
and
MATH1012 Mathematical Theory and Methods
or MATX1012 Mathematical Theory and Methods
and
STAT1520 Economic and Business Statistics
or STAX1520 Economic and Business Statistics
S1, S2 SCIE1500 Analytical Methods for Scientists
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
ATAR Subject(s) ATAR Subject Mathematics Applications
or MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
or MATX1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
Incompatibility
ATAR Subject(s) ATAR Mathematics Methods
and Unit(s) MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods (ID 5108)
or MATX1721 Mathematics Foundations

Level 2

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (24 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 BIOL2261 Conservation Biology
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
Unit(s) BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology (ID 1254)
or Unit(s) BIOL1131 Plant and Animal Biology (ID 1244)
S2 ENVT2221 Global Climate Change and Biodiversity
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology (ID 1254)
or Unit(s) BIOL1131 Plant and Animal Biology (ID 1244)
or Unit(s) EART1105 Dynamic Planet (ID 1247)
or Unit(s) ENVT1104 Environmental Science and Technology (ID 5950)
S1 ENVT2250 Ecology
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology
or BIOL1131 Plant and Animal Biology
or ENVT1104 Environmental Science and Technology
and
SCIE1104 Science, Society and Data Analysis
or STAT1400 Statistics for Science
or STAX1400 Statistics for Science
S1, S2 GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems
Prerequisites
36 points of prior study

Level 3

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (24 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 ANIM3353 Wildlife Conservation and Management
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
Unit(s) ENVT2250 Ecology (ID 1228)
or Unit(s) ENVT2221 Global Climate Change and Biodiversity (ID 1293)
Incompatibility
72520 Master of Biological Science
NS BIOL3360 Saving Endangered Species
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) BIOL2261 Conservation Biology (ID 1250)
or Unit(s) ENVT2221 Global Climate Change and Biodiversity (ID 1293)
or Unit(s) ENVT2250 Ecology (ID 1228) or equivalent
S1 BIOL3364 Evolutionary Processes
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods
or SCIE1500 Analytical Methods for Scientists
and
BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology
or GENE2250 Principles of Inheritance
and
SCIE1104 Science, Society and Data Analysis
or STAT1400 Statistics for Science
or STAX1400 Statistics for Science
Incompatibility
ANIM3362 Evolutionary Processes
S2 GEOG3303 Environmental Policy and Planning
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
MJD-CONBI Conservation Biology
or MJD-NRMGT Natural Resource Management
or MJD-GGRPY Geographical Sciences
or MJD-GSSCI Geographical and Spatial Science
or MJD-HGYPL Human Geography and Planning
or MJD-APHGY Applied Human Geography
or MJD-WLCDM Wildlife Conservation
or MJD-ENVDM Environmental Science and Management
or MJD-ENVMT Environmental Management
or MJD-ENGEO Environmental Geography and Planning
or MNR-SAPEP Science and Policy: Environmental Planning
or MNR-SPCEU Science and Policy: Climate Change, Environmental Planning and Urban Environments
or MNR-ENVST Understanding the Environment
and Successful completion of
72 points in your chosen degree
Incompatibility
Unit(s) PLNG2203 Environmental Policy and Planning